Stephanie Jones

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure at this time to yield to the gentleman from Chicago (Mr. Davis).

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues for this opportunity to present issues with regard to Black History Month this year. Our theme again was Heritage, Horizons, Accepting the Challenges of the 21st Century.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Valentine's Day, in the Eleventh Congressional District of Ohio, we hosted the homegoing celebration of the Reverend Dr. Albert T. Rowan, one of the religious giants in the faith community and on the national level. Dr. Rowan had served as the pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, my church home, for more than 34 years. Dr. Rowan and his life partner and best friend, Mrs. Carrie Mae Rowan, were married for 52 years, the proud parents of five children, 11 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. The homegoing ceremony was a joyous ceremony, exemplifying the happy lifestyle that Dr. Rowan lived. I was particularly blessed because Dr. Rowan had been my pastor since I was 13 years of age. He celebrated my high school, college and law school graduation, my marriage, my first election as a judge, the birth and christening of my son, and my subsequent elections as judge, prosecutor and Congresswoman. I will always remember how he encouraged me to keep going and how he fostered my growth as a Christian woman, wife, mother, and leader. I will always be deeply indebted to Dr. Rowan. The celebration was particularly moving because Reverend Dr. Stephen Rowan, the son of Dr. Albert T. Rowan, delivered the eulogy. What greater testament to a father, than to have his son eulogize his life. Seventy-two years ago, in Kansas City, Missouri a bright star entered into the lives of the family of Albert and Florence Rowan their son Albert T. Rowan. Throughout his life he would bring comfort and joy to those whose lives he touched. Dr. Albert T. Rowan was educated in the Kansas City public schools and held a Bachelor Degree in Religious Education and Theology, a Master of Divinity Degree in Pastoral Psychology and Counseling and the Doctor of Divinity Degree. For more than thirty-four years Rev. Rowan served as shepherd to the flock at Bethany Baptist Church. Under his prayerful leadership Bethany continued providing spiritual guidance to its expanding congregation and also developed new spiritual and community programming including: New Missionary Groups; 8:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. worship services; Youth Seminars; a fast growing credit union; and a Head Start school. Rev. Rowan loved people. He had the ability to inspire diverse groups to work together for worthy causes. He worked in behalf of many organizations including: The Ministerial Head Start Assoc.; The National Baptist Convention; the Interchurch Council of Greater Cleveland; The Cleveland City Planning Commission; the Ohio State Martin Luther King Commission; and the Minority Organ Tissue Education program. From the pulpit Rev. Rowan often jokingly reminisced about his courtship and his marriage to his life partner and best friend, his bride of fifty-two years, Carrie Mae McBride Rowan. They were blessed with a large and loving family including their children and spouses: Richard and Virginia Rowan, Brenda and Larry Moore, Stephen and Cynthia Rowan, Allana and Elijah Wheeler, and Allan Christopher and Marshara Rowan; eleven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren. Rev. Rowan also had five sisters and brothers, two who predeceased him. Rev. Rowan was instrumental in shaping my life from the age of 13 years. He played a major part in my development as a young person, as a parent and as a public figure. He kept me grounded and was always there for me. He will live on in my life because of who he helped me become, both personally and professional. On behalf of the Congress of the United States of America and the citizens of the 11th Congressional District, Ohio, I express our gratitude to Rev. Albert T. Rowan for all of his efforts to nourish the hearts and improve the lives of his fellow man. On behalf of my entire family I extend condolences and love to Mrs. Rowan, the family and friends.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend your attention to a wonderful honor. The Cuyahoga County Bar Foundation and Cuyahoga County Bar Association recognizes very prominent public servants. Each public servant receives the distinguished Franklin A. Polk Public Servants Merit Award. The honorees are as follows: Irene Bohuslawsky--Parma Municipal Court Nominated by the Presiding/Administrative Parma Municipal Court Judge Kenneth Spanagel, Irene Bohuslawsky has, since 1974, been employed in the Law Department of the City of Parma, where she currently is the Administrative Assistant in the Prosecutor's Office. A graduate of Lourdes Academy, Irene attended classes at Cuyahoga Community College. Irene began her service with Parma as a part-time legal secretary one month after the birth of her fourth son. She spent time with both the Prosecutor's Office and the Law Department prior to being named to her present position in 1995. In this position she is the office's ``traffic cop,'' insuring that communication flows among the prosecutors, defense lawyers, any defendants without counsel, citizens, victims, complainants, the Court's judges and magistrate. Irene says that raising her four sons is her outstanding accomplishment, and, in her spare time, she enjoys her own garden and those of her children. She also spends time sewing, embroidering, designing floral arrangements and refinishing old furniture. She is noted for her patience, courtesy and ability to deal with the public, and she handles all these varied duties with a smile and with a disposition that, in Judge Spanagel's words, ``anyone would be hard-pressed to maintain.'' That must be true, since, in her years of service, she has encountered such varied responses as the surprise of the man who had crashed his car into his former girlfriend's front steps and who was arrested after the police found his front license plate, to the loving couple whose marriage ceremony before one of the judges was followed, almost immediately, by the bride's filing a charge of domestic violence against her new groom. Joseph Booker--Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas As Chief Jury Bailiff for the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, Joseph Booker, nominated by Presiding/Administrative Judge Richard J. McMonagle, supervises the Jury Room and insures that prospective jury panels are prepared for their service in criminal and civil trials. After employment in the private sector in marketing positions, Mr. Booker became a court employee in 1975. Married to Carolyn since 1961 and the father of three, Joseph, an Alabama native, raised in Youngstown, credits his father, a steelworker and minister, and his mother, a homemaker, with instilling in him and his brothers strong spiritual values, which he tries to impart to others. An army veteran, Mr. Booker enjoys photography, woodworking, travel and golf and has been active in church activities, including serving as a Boy Scout troop master. Mr. Booker has heard every reason, and then some, advanced by citizens trying to avoid serving as jurors. His most vivid recollection, though, is the call he received on a Friday from a wife whose husband was on a jury which had been sequestered. The wife was calling to find out how her husband was doing during the sequestration. There was one problem: the jury had been discharged the prior Tuesday. Joseph regrets, perhaps only slightly, that he did not find out how the couple resolved the problem. Judy Courtemanche--Eighth District Court of Appeals Judy A. Courtemanche, Judicial Secretary at the Ohio Court of Appeals, Eighth Appellate District, has been nominated by her boss, Administrative Judge James Porter, in recognition of her combined 21 years' service at the Court of Appeals and the office of the Cuyahoga County Clerk of Court. Particularly, her service in circulating and releasing the Judge's opinions, keeping his docket, and working with him in all court-related matters. A resident of the Cleveland area since her birth, Ms. Courtemanche has been married for 15 years to her husband, Bob. She views her marriage to Bob as her biggest accomplishment and also values her close relationship with her sister and her three brothers. Judy has been honored by the Plain Dealer as an outstanding former carrier and also has served in the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Jacobs' Field and the new Cleveland Browns Stadium as a ticket taker and usher. An avid reader and gardener, Judy also enjoys activities designed to maintain her fitness. She camps regularly, including trips to Canada and seven states in the last two years alone. The child of a mother and father who were both long-time governmental employees, Judy still finds her work interesting and challenging, and she says, second only to saying ``I do'', entering public service was the best decision she ever made. In her ``dream job'' at the Court of Appeals, Judy values her co-workers as a close and supportive second family. Daniel Dadich--Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court Since October 1978, Dan Dadich, Administrative Judge Timothy M. Flanagan's nominee, has been employed at the Domestic Relations Court. Now, the Director of Enforcement Services, Dan is regarded as being the person to see to get a clear and quick response to questions about child and spousal support and health insurance for children. Mr. Dadich notes that the ever-changing legislation in this area has made it an awesome challenge to help parties and counsel understand the complexities of this particular portion of the trauma of divorce. Dan has presented support issues at continuing legal education courses offered by the Cuyahoga County Bar Association and others. Dan has lived in the Cleveland area his entire life and attended Kent State University. Dan is married to Gail, who received this same award in 1995. This doubly-honored couple are the parents of three sons, Devon, Daniel and Derek. Dan has been active as a coach and officer in the North Royalton Soccer Club. Despite the stress of dealing with court personnel, parents and counsel, Dan still maintains an even and reasoned perspective and a keen sense of humor. Raymond Dennard--Cleveland Municipal Court Raymond Dennard has been an employee of the Cleveland Municipal Court since 1971. Currently, Administrative Judge Larry A. Jones' nominee is Deputy Bailiff-Supervisor and is the Chief of Security at the Court, where he supervises approximately 100 bailiffs to make sure that there is ``order in the court.'' Mr. Dennard, a native of West Virginia and father of two grown children, lives with his wife Mairiam in Oakwood Village. Also, he serves as a member of the Village Council. In addition to his duties at the Court and in Oakwood Village, Mr. Dennard finds time to be a Detective, and has recently become Director of Security at Thistledown Race Course. Beyond all those other commitments, Mr. Dennard has found time to be active in his parish and the Elks of the World. Raymond has but one complaint about receiving this award; he found it impossible to distill many decades of faithful service at the Court into a short statement of why he found his service to the pubic rewarding. Thelma Porter--Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts Since May 1973, Thelma Porter, Common Pleas Court Clerk Gerald Fuerst's nominee, has been an employee of the County for 26 years. As Department Head of the Journal Department of the Clerk's office, where she has been for the past 22 years. Porter supervises seven other employees in ensuring that civil and domestic journal entries are properly processed, including judgment entries in the Civil and Domestic Divisions. Orders of Sale from the Sheriff's Department. Writs of Possession from foreclosures and other important legal documents. Thelma has been married to Emanuel Porter for over 43 years. The Porters have two grown children, and Thelma is proud to have raised them to be good, responsible, hard-working, honest and caring individuals. She is also blessed with a 2 year old grandchild, Amiri. A graduate of John Hay, she is an active volunteer at Greater Abysinian Baptist Church. Thelma looks to the example of her father, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday and who taught her that hard work and treating people in a way one would like to be treated are the keys to success. Thelma's hobbies include bowling, movies, traveling and shopping at different malls. Ann Vanik--Cuyahoga County Probate Court Nominated by Administrative Probate Judge John Donnelly, Ann Vanik has been an employee of the Court since 1972. After serving as a deputy clerk and secretary, Ann became Probate Court Auditor, her current position, where she is responsible for maintaining personnel and payroll records, along with purchasing, accounts payable and other budgetary matters. Ms. Vanik is the mother of two daughters, and lives in South Euclid, where she is active at her parish, St. Gregory the Great, where one daughter attends school, and at Beaumont School, where her other daughter is a student. Ann spends much of her time with her daughters and is an active spectator at their volleyball, basketball, softball and fast- pitch softball games. She enjoys cooking and crafts. Each year, she and her daughters ``adopt'' a family at Thanksgiving and provide that family with a Thanksgiving feast. Ms. Vanik enjoys travel and has been to such varied locales as Hawaii, Cape Code, Florida, Arizona, Aruba and the Bahamas. Johnny Williams--Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court The Juvenile Court's Administrator John Zachariah's nominee, Johnny C. Williams, has been an employee since 1973 and is a licensed social worker at the Court's Detention Center. A native of North Carolina and schooled in that state, Mr. Williams was a public school music teacher in North Carolina, and then relocated to Cuyahoga County after finishing his military service in 1972. Johnny has worked his entire life, and in addition to his duties at the Detention Center, he has provided custodial care at other agencies, including the United Labor Agency, Cleveland Crossroads for Youth and Ohio Boys Town. In addition to this award, Williams has been recognized by the National Juvenile Detention Association, on two separate occasions, and has received letters of recognition from Mayor White, Governor Voinovich. Former Congressman Stokes, Senator Metzenbaum and other public officials. Johnny is active in the 11th Congressional District Caucus and chairs its Youth Initiative Committee. He also counsels troubled students at a local middle school upon referral of that school's principal and helps supervise social work students from Cleveland State University as their Field Instructor.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman, although today the sun is shiny and bright outside, it is a rainy, dreary day for American workers. We have left workers out to dry while the umbrellas of safety and seller-manufacturer responsibility have been folded. American workers, whose productivity make for the great part of our economic growth, deserve better. Mr. Chairman, I am opposed to H.R. 2005 for many reasons. First, it does not adequately protect injured workers. Second, it provides more protection for machines than people. Third, this bill hurts small businesses, as well as employees. Mr. Chairman, the heart of this debate is not about frivolous lawsuits. We all stand opposed to frivolous lawsuits. I personally stood opposed to frivolous lawsuits as an attorney, judge, and county prosecutor. Really, as I stand here on the floor in Congress, I want to stand up on behalf of trial lawyers, because trial lawyers are the people who work on behalf of the injured and the sick and the lame. We all recognize and realize that frivolous lawsuits are extremely costly and burdens our legal and judicial system. H.R. 2005 is not about frivolous lawsuits; it is about responsibility. Mr. Chairman, H.R. 2005 is misguided and misplaced. We have State laws that work. Sellers and manufacturers have a duty to ensure equipment or defective products under their care are safe. This duty is not an extreme one. It is the part of the trade-off between workers and producers. Mr. Chairman, I submit that H.R. 2005 is truly about manufacturers and sellers not taking responsibility. Basically, manufacturers and sellers are abdicating their responsibility for their equipment under this rule. Mr. Chairman, is it not ironic that in these same hallowed chambers we often speak of civic responsibility, family responsibility, and financial responsibility; but yet today we stand muted to the basic responsibility owed to the workers of America. This bill will allow some manufacturers to escape responsibility for allowing dangerously defective products in the workplace. We cannot stand idly by and allow injured workers and their families to suffer this fate. Workers' rights are cut off if they are injured by a defective product that is more than 18 years old, regardless of how long the product was built to last, its useful life. Working people are singled out. They stand to lose rights while their employers gain rights dealing with the same defective product. H.R. 2005 is also devastating to small business. As a member of the Committee on Small Business, we must realize that this bill eliminates the rights of business owners. This legislation extinguishes a business owner's right to hold the manufacturer of a defective workplace product responsible for the property losses the products caused or the business's Worker's Compensation deductible. Damage to property arising out of the accident is cut off. Who then will pay to renovate or refurbish property? In closing, Mr. Chairman, just imagine the countless factory workers and American citizens who use industrial machinery and construction tools injured at work or at home from defective products which may be 18 years old or older. I represent the 11th Congressional District of Ohio, a district filled with both manufacturers and workers. We cannot turn a deaf ear on workers who keep this Nation strong. I want it said that I am not anti-manufacturer; but I also believe, as my parents often told me, it is better to be safe than sorry. Let us be safe for American workers. In closing, our society, traditionally the number 18 symbolized a greater degree of freedom. At 18, many young people receive their driver's license; at 18, young people register to vote; at 18, young persons receive a greater degree of freedom in and around their homes. However, H.R. 2005 takes the number 18 and snatches freedom, limits rights of injured workers and does not even allow employers to recover for property damage by older equipment. Mr. Chairman, I remember 18, and it was a time of bad decision making and risk taking. H.R. 2005, with this statute of repose of 18 years, is a bad decision. It is bad for workers, it is bad for America. I wholeheartedly oppose H.R. 2005.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, first of all I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce) for her support and the work we have done together on this piece of legislation. We two have similar backgrounds, coming from the bench as well as serving as prosecutors; and we saw this area as an important part that we need to implement here in the Congress. I would like to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) on the Committee on the Judiciary for kind of guiding me through this process. Without him, I would not have understood some of the things that happened with this piece of legislation as it went through the process. I rise today to speak in strong support of the Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act and Jennifer's Law. Together, these bills will mean a great deal for victims and their families throughout America. This legislation has deep and diverse support which is evidenced in the list of cosponsors on both sides of the aisle. The House has passed both of these bills on their own merit by wide margins in the last session of Congress. Now thanks to the foresight of the other body, we have the opportunity to send these bills to the President together. Child abuse prevention is an extremely important issue. A child cannot grow in an environment in which he or she is subject to emotional and physical abuse. We can offer a helping hand to America's children through the passage of this legislation. Through CAPE, we are funding child advocacy centers and training those who deal with children who are abused. In Cuyahoga County, my experience as a prosecutor and as a judge told me and taught me that there are many instances in which many of our child-abuse protection workers are new to the job, they are undertrained, they are overworked and burnout reaches them very quickly. It is important that we give them an opportunity to have greater insight into the job that they need to perform as well as to give them an opportunity to step away, step back and be able to see situations as they arise. With better training they will be able to have an opportunity to prevent abuse and treat the victims of abuse. CAPE will increase the funding available. This money will not cost taxpayers any extra money. It will come strictly from forfeited bail bonds and other fines paid to the government and taken from the Crime Victims Fund. The allocation of this money comes under the Byrne Law Enforcement Grant Program for Child Abuse Prevention and is allocated through State and local funding by local officials. As a former prosecutor, I served on the Byrne Grant Memorial Fund as a person who was responsible for the allocation of those funds. I can recall distinctly that in many instances there could have been opportunities where our children and family services unit could have applied for funds which were dedicated to other programs. I am so happy to be able to report to them that upon the passage of this bill, we will be specifically designating dollars to allow them to train their people as well as to create an advocacy center. In my home, the State of Ohio, there is a child abused or neglected every 3 minutes. Every day throughout the country, 8,470 children are abused or neglected. Throughout America every day, 13 children are homicide victims and firearms kill 14 children. CAPE is supported by the National Child Abuse Coalition, which includes the Children's Defense Fund and the Child Welfare League. It is supported by Prevent Child Abuse America, the Christian Coalition, the Family Research Council and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Attached to the CAPE Act is Jennifer's Law. This legislation is an excellent addition to the bill. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Lazio) introduced this bill to create within the National Crime Information Center a link between missing persons files and unidentified persons files. This will allow the families of missing victims to know their loved one may have been found and end the doubt of not knowing the fate of one of their family members. Prior to this legislation, there was no sharing between these two computer systems. The cross-referencing system that Jennifer's Law will create will allow States to apply for competitive grants to cover the costs of linking to those computer systems. I believe that this combined legislation will help victims and their families in crisis, help them treat victims and inform families of the status of their loved ones. This bill addresses all aspects of victimization. I strongly support the legislation and recommend to my colleagues that they vote in favor of this bill. Again, I want to thank all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for the support that they have given to me in the process of putting this piece of legislation through. I look forward to working with them on other pieces of legislation that will impact families throughout America.

Ms. JONES of Ohio

Ms. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution acknowledging some of the bravest women of our country. By the end of WW II more that 400,000 women served the United States in military capacities and today I join over 200 of my colleagues in honoring the extraordinary accomplishments of these women. Mr. Speaker, everyone forgets the contributions made by American women during WW II. There is never any mention of women veterans. When we hear WW II veterans everyone thinks about men only. Women, despite their merit and the recognized value and importance of their contributions to the war effort, were not given status equal to their male counterparts and struggled for years to receive the appreciation of the Congress and the people of the United States. In WW I women demonstrated that they could perform virtually all civilian tasks as efficiently as men. This process carried over into WW II with even greater impact. To release men for combat, women in all belligerent countries worked on assembly lines in factories and shipyards. Millions served in the Armed Forces in non-combat roles. More than 350,000 women donned military uniforms and 6 million women worked in defense plants and in offices. One of the most important issues of women in the military was the fact that men did not want to take orders from women. Women became ``liberated''! They started to wear pants. On July 30, 1942, the Marine Corps Women's Reserve was established as part of the Marine Corps Reserve. On November 10, 1943, a statue named ``Mollie Marine'' was dedicated in New Orleans to honor all women Marines. In 1948 Congress passed the Women's Armed Service Act, which opened the door for women to serve their country in peacetime. Women moved beyond the image of ``Rosie the Riveter''. They established organizations such as: WAVE--Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service; WAC--Women's Army Corps; WASP--Women's Air Service Pilots; WAFS--Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron; WAAC--Women's Army Auxiliary Corps; AWA--Aircraft Warning Service. In 1977 Congress finally recognized WASP's as veterans and was awarded veteran status from the U.S. Air Force. In 1984, each was awarded the Victory Medal. There is a memorial to the veterans in D.C. that reads: In time of danger and not before, women were added to the Corps, with the danger over and all well righted, war is forgotten and the women slighted. General Eisenhower strongly recommended that women be a part of the military. General Eisenhower stated, ``During the time I have had WAC's (members of the Women's Army Corps) under my command they have met every test and task assigned to them; their contributions in efficiency, skill, spirit, and determination are immeasurable. Present day servicewomen owe a lot to Eleanor Roosevelt who encouraged women to ``Be all you can be''. Since then statistics of women in the Armed Forces have skyrocketed. Mr. Speaker, women have come a long way. I express my strong support of this resolution and join my colleagues in saluting the women who have been all they could be for the United States of America.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, this morning I rise to join my colleagues in lamenting legislation important to my constituents and the American people that the Republican leadership has ignored. I am speaking about gun safety, prescription drug benefits, the Patients' Bill of Rights and campaign finance reform. The Republican leadership has disregarded the American people and killed these measures for this session of Congress. Democrats still believe we can get action on agendas that matter to reduce class size and raise student achievement by providing for local schools to hire 100,000 new teachers, make our neighborhoods safer and build on the progress we have made over the last 7 years in reducing violent crime by funding 50,000 new police officers. We are committed to safeguarding the environment. Another year, another Republican Congress that ignores the needs of middle class families; more interest in providing a trillion dollar tax cut for corporate and special interests, but they do not care about finding a dime for Medicare prescription drugs for seniors and now they are at the beck and call of the HMO lobbyists but they have failed to send a bipartisan Patients' Bill of Rights to Congress. It is time for all of these programs to get in place now more than ever.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, on October 18, 1999, I was unavoidably detained and was not able to vote on the following measures: I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote 505; I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote 506; I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote 507; and I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote 508. Once again, Mr. Speaker, on November 1, 1999, I was unavoidably detained and was not able to cast my vote on the following measures: On rollcall vote 550 I would have voted ``yea''; Also on rollcall vote 551 I would have voted ``yea''; and Lastly on rollcall vote 552, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Cleveland Browns football team on their first NFL win as an expansion team. This win, in only their 8th game since being reincarnated, was impressive and magical. As a loyal fan of the team, I watched quarterback Tim Couch's last second ``Hail Mary'' 56-yard pass sail into the awaiting hands of wide receiver Kevin Johnson. The prayers of Cleveland fans were answered with the 21-16 win. I applaud the team and its ``never-say-die'' attitude and efforts to win against the New Orleans Saints in this game. The two first-year players involved in the winning play, Couch and Johnson, have proven themselves stars already in their rookie season. But the efforts of the whole team and the entire Browns organization must be applauded. From owner Al Lerner and Team President Carmen Policy down to the individual players, everyone has exemplified themselves and the City of Cleveland by playing with the heart of champions. I congratulate the Cleveland Browns on this historic win, the first of what will undoubtedly be many exciting victories.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and I want to salute him for spending time to put together this special order with regard to Social Security. And as my colleagues have said, I would say to him that he should stand tall; we know that the gentleman is doing a great job here in the Congress of the United States. Those ads will not last for long, because we are going to get the message out that the gentleman is doing a great job and that the Democrats are not trying to raid the Social Security fund. So I thank the gentleman very much for his consistency. Mr. Speaker, Social Security is the cornerstone of our retirement system. Social Security is the principal source of retirement income for two-thirds of the elderly. In 1959, the poverty rate for senior citizens was 35.2 percent. In 1998, it was 10.5 percent, the lowest on record. Last year, Social Security benefits lifted roughly 15 million senior citizens out of poverty. At the same time, poverty remains high for widows and other groups. Social Security is more than just a retirement program. One in five beneficiaries is under the age of 62, receiving either disability or survivor benefits. As my colleagues have said, I am blessed to have parents who are living and healthy, 78 and 79 years old. I am blessed to have in-laws who are living, whose health is somewhat in disrepair, who are also 78 and 79. And as I campaigned throughout the City of Cleveland back in 1998, the major issue that senior citizens brought to my attention was Social Security and they told me that they were counting on me to go to Washington and save Social Security. Now, over this past year, as a new Member of Congress, I have watched and learned about this discussion with regard to Social Security, and I am begging my colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, to stop talking the political language of Social Security and get down to the issues that are important with regard to Social Security; that the people of these United States expect that we are going to do. Social Security is projected to become insolvent by 2034 as a result of the demographic pressures it faces. In 1960, there were 5.1 covered workers for every Social Security beneficiary; in 1998, there were only 3.4 workers for every beneficiary; and by 2035, there are projected to be only two workers for every beneficiary. That is why it is so important that we now hold on to the dollars for Social Security and put them aside, put them into a fund so that they will be maintained and be able to bear interest so that Social Security will be around. It is important that we assure the young, the old throughout that Social Security is something that they can count on over time. I do not know who else has been on the floor today with the gentleman from North Dakota, but I think it would be of interest for those who are listening to us to hear about The New York Times piece that said, and I quote the next to the last paragraph: ``Asserting that it is merely trying to save money for Social Security, the Republican leadership in Congress wants to cut spending by 1.4 percent,'' or now I understand it is 1 percent, ``across the board, and block the White House's initiatives for money to hire new teachers and police officers. The leaders' approach has been so wrongheaded that yesterday it provoked a revolt in the party rank and file, and the cuts were being scaled back. But it is not necessary to slash programs to `save' Social Security. More to the point, there are better places to save money, by cutting billions of dollars in pork barrel projects and eliminating some of the expensive tax breaks for special interests that have made big campaign donations to the party in recent years.'' This is clearly on line and on point with what we have been trying to say over the past few days. The House GOP'ers have already dipped into $14 billion of Social Security surplus. They are on track to spend $24 billion of that surplus. The appropriations exceed the President's request by $14 billion. The majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), is on record as stating he never would have created Social Security. The number of days the GOP budget plan would extend the life of Social Security is zero. By way of contrast, the number of years the Democratic tax budget plan would extend the life of Social Security is 16 years. Finally, while ignoring the needs of the Social Security System and its financial viability, the Republican leadership, through tax breaks, provides for the wealthiest and special interests, and that amount would come to close to $1 trillion. As a freshman Member of Congress, I have had an opportunity over the past year to get to know some of my Republican and Democratic colleagues. I am confident that through working together, through strong leadership, we can arrive at a resolve for the Social Security System. And that resolve is in saving Social Security dollars, putting it aside, investing it, paying down the dilemma that we are in in terms of debt as a country, and moving on to dealing with the other issues that impact the people of these United States. Again I would like to congratulate the gentleman from North Dakota on his leadership on this issue, and I yield back.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Madam Chairman, just think about it like this: Right here on the House floor in 1999 I am able to turn around and say, Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. But for programs like WEEA, it may well have not even happened. See, 25 years ago the first woman military pilot, Barbara Raines, was named, and then it took 10 more years for it even to happen for the first woman, Katherine Sullivan, to walk in space. Hopefully in 2004 we will not have to be counting the first woman. There will be many women who have had an opportunity in the technological world to participate. I rise in support of the Mink-Woolsey-Sanchez-Morella amendment. This amendment has my full support because it will restore funding to the Women's Educational Equity Act. We have funds, instructional materials, teacher training, and it encourages women to pursue careers in the fields of math, science, technology, and engineering. As my colleagues know, I wanted to go ahead and read my written words, but I just decided it would be more appropriate for me to talk from right here. In 1974, I graduated law school, and my daddy was so happy he said, Yes, she finished law school, and he said, Stephanie, what are you going to do next, and I said, Dad, you know I don't know, but whatever it is, please be with me. In 1981, I ran for my first judgeship, 31-years-old, and but for programs like WEEA I never would have even been encouraged to go to law school. Made my daddy so happy when I got elected. Election night do my colleagues know what he said? See, I got a judge in the family and didn't even have to have a boy. My daddy thinking like that, who loved and was endeared to me. I would suggest to my colleagues that there are young women all around this country who need the opportunity to be encouraged and supported. Let us talk about right here in our own House, 57 women out of 435. Think about it. Think about it. Women need to be encouraged to be right here on the floor. They do not need just solely technological support, they need to think about how can we be here on the floor of the U.S. Congress talking about issues that impact the entire country and only 57 of us are women. But let us even talk about major corporations. It is a wonderful woman who just became the head of a major corporation, and there are only three to five that head major corporations. It is in the technology; it is in the training that these young women have not been given the opportunity, the access, the encouragement, the support, the love, the nuturing, all of which they need to become what they want to be. Now see, I appreciate the gentleman saying he is sympathetic to this piece of legislation. Do not give me sympathy; give me a vote. That is what we need right here on the floor. My colleague can be sympathetic if he wants to, but he should not tell his daughters he is sympathetic and he does not want her to go to medical school, he does not want her to go to law school, he does not want her to be a engineer. As we stand here on the floor today, it is important to think about all the young women across this country, and we are 50 percent; and God willing, we may even in fact be 65 percent of the next election. We do know that women vote more than men do. It is not a political game we are playing here. We are playing with the lives of young women; we are playing with the heads of the families of young women. We are playing with the heads of our young men, because it is the women who raise the young men in this country. So I would just ask my colleagues, support this amendment. It is important to you, it is important to you, it is important to our children; and in the end, we will all be paid off.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, over the past 2 days, students and their chaperons from all over the country have come here to be voices against violence. This poster board has postcards from chaperons across the country. I read one: Please talk about the importance of developing a new model of education in this country. We now need a longer school day built around a holistic health model with education as a component. Children need to know themselves, feel good about themselves and have a hope about the future. We must have a system that cultivates and nurtures youth to become productive, well-adjusted citizens. These 2 days have been wonderful days wherein our folk can come to the Hill and they are saying to us, let us get on with funding education appropriately. They are saying, let us deal with violence, let us deal with gun control, and let us see that the children of our Nation are nurtured, well-developed, healthy and have an opportunity to become useful citizens.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today before this great Chamber to share with my colleagues one of the greatest moments that I have experienced as a Member of Congress. Today I participated in a discussion with the chaperons for the Voices Against Violence Conference which is being held today and tomorrow on Capitol Hill. Voices Against Violence is a national student conference whose purpose is to add the voices of America's high school students to the debate in Washington over what to do about youth violence. LaDasha Richardson and George Whitfield of the Cleveland School of the Arts, of the Cleveland Municipal School District, are representing my district, the 11th Congressional District of Ohio. LaDasha and George started the Students Against a Violent Environment, SAVE, a grass-roots organization comprised of students from around the city of Cleveland, that is committed to assisting and educating children and young adults on how to make our communities safe and more positive. Today I want to applaud their efforts. I also want to recognize the chaperones who have accompanied students like LaDasha and George here today who too are committed to making the lives of our children better. Because of their commitment, I asked each chaperone what we can do as elected officials to make their vision a reality. I asked each to complete a card giving their name, the area they represented and if they could tell Congress one thing what that one thing would be. Here to my right are some of the comments which highlight what we in Congress need to do to make the lives of our children better, in the words of these various chaperons. Later on my colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps), the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge), the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), and I, will be talking about the statements that these chaperons have made. Charlie Jackson, an assistant principal at Brooks County High School in Quitman, Georgia says, ``More money is needed to provide the opportunities and experiences to help our kids overcome the issues they face.'' Luis Beltre of New York City writes, ``Although young people cannot vote, we must empower them and instill in them a sense of pride because they do count. We should create a National General Youth Council that will express the voice of young people today.'' Mike Stauropoulus of Memphis, Tennessee, writes, ``Democrats and Republicans must do a better job of making kids their priority and not their own political agendas. It is very discouraging to see the waste of time and energy being wasted in Washington as one party tries to show up the other. If you want the people to have a voice, then listen to them and make them a priority.'' Robert Brutcher of Illinois writes, ``I do not want to appear ungrateful but please do not give me money for extra teachers until you send me money to build another room in which they can teach. Make me accountable for educating my students but give me the tools. Help me and my colleagues make opportunities for our kids.'' Anne Christensen of Minnesota writes, ``Our children know what is happening. Please listen to them. Put more money into programs and early prevention.'' Albert Harper of Coventry, Connecticut, writes, ``So long as any child is disenfranchised from the promise of a future in America, we have talked without hope and our children fall in disrepair and violence.'' Deborah A. Covarrubia of San Antonio, Texas, writes, ``The most influential aspect of a young person's life is the education they receive. Parents, teachers and mentors should take more responsibility in teaching ethics. Ethics in education should be emphasized. God's law is man's law.'' Kathleen Kropf of Macomb, Michigan writes, ``Homeless children from working poor families continues to grow at an alarming rate in our country. These children and their families need to be acknowledged and assisted. Why in the richest country in the world do 10 percent of our citizens go to bed hungry every night? There should be no, quote, hungry or homeless children in our country today. We cannot assist them without acknowledging and addressing this problem.'' Finally, Roger Barnes of La Crosse, Wisconsin, writes, ``The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. For me, the main thing is our youth. Character does count. When it comes to character, we must put politics aside and do the right thing. Send a strong message about the moral fiber which made this country great. When we tolerate immorality at the highest levels, the message is overwhelming and becomes a disease which permeates the entire population.'' Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to speak to the issues of the chaperons.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I keep hearing the only difference between Houghton and the Norwood-Dingell amendment is that it only changes the liability. It only changes the liability. When a lawsuit is brought, the only thing that matters is liability. No liability, no lawsuit, no damages. Why penalize the American public by restricting their ability to seek damages? The other thing that does not seem to want to be discussed on this floor today is the issue that someone who may be a victim of a violation of a claim or denial of a claim may be suing the doctor, may be suing the hospital, and the plan. The lawsuit against the doctor is in State court, the lawsuit against the hospital is in State court, the lawsuit against the plan should be in State court. Why require American citizens to go into Federal Court on the plan and the State court on the doctor and State court on the hospital? Again, it only changes the liability. That is it, everybody. Liability. Keep it in State court. Support Norwood-Dingell.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, we all know that Halloween is fast approaching. The question is trick or treat. H.R. 2990 is, in effect, a trick or treat measure. We offer a treat with Norwood-Dingell, the Patients' Bill of Rights. However, Americans are being tricked by H.R. 2990. The trick: getting health care in America. The treat: goes only to the wealthy. The trick: pooling and separating of persons with greater health risks from those with less, leaving many people uninsured. The trick: MSAs, Medical Savings Accounts, they are MIA, missing in action. No insurance company has yet to offer this coverage to senior citizens. The treat: health care access for small business. I sit on the Committee on Small Business. I know what they need. The trick is that these Association Health Plans would not be subject to State regulation and cannot be sued in court just like the HMOs. Just like Halloween, H.R. 2990 is a hollow effort. Let us deflate this pumpkin now.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, I am sure tired of hearing the other side say that it is lawyers who are causing this dilemma. There is a doctor seated in here this evening who had to sue to be able to practice medicine in California. And he sued and he won. His name is Dr. Thomas Self. There are a ton of people who keep saying the lawyers are keeping the patients out of the hospital and keeping the doctors out of the hospital. Well, we want to be able to get in doctors' offices and hospitals, but it seems the only way we can do that is to sue them because the HMOs will not let us in the hospital. Now, my friends, the Selfs, and my friend Miles Zaremski, my law school buddy, submitted an open letter to Congress and I would like to include that in the Record. An ``Open Letter'' to the Honorable Members of the United States House of Representatives Regarding Managed Care Legislation (By: Thomas W. Self, MD, FAAP, Linda P. Self, RN, BSN, Miles J. Zaremski, JD, FCLM) September 29, 1999. Dear Honorable Members of the House of Representatives: We hope that our remarks that follow will be able to be part of the floor debate that will occur on managed care legislation, scheduled for early next month. While we have endeavored to communicate with several of you, either by letter, phone or by in-person conferences with you or your staffs, we feel our individual, yet collective, wisdom on the underpinnings of this legislation before you is critical and important. Two of us have a unique experience not shared by other health care providers in our country. The other has considerable expertise based on experience and writings on managed care liability, what our courts have done with ERISA preemption, and what is likely to be done in the future by our judicial system. Two final introductory remarks. First, there is so much that needs to be said that brevity in our remarks could not be achieved. Second, while this letter comes from the three of us, we refer to each of us in the third person. Thomas W. Self, MD, FAAP, Linda P. Self, RN, BSN, Miles J. Zaremski, JD, FCLM. Our plea comes not as Democrats, Republicans or members of other political parties. Our plea comes to you as a physician, nurse and lawyer, representatives of those at the crossroads of medicine, health care and law. Our plea comes to you also as people who are deeply and passionately concerned about the quality and delivery of health care for America's patients, all patients, and the legal and legislative efforts to do the right thing--insure fairness and accountability for patients and by those delivering health care. To quote a famous line from a motion picture of some years back, the battle cry of patients is, ``We are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore!'' Patients and providers alike should not be subject to the grave inequities foisted upon them by what managed care has done to the delivery of health care. Linda and Tom Self are fitting and, perhaps, unfortunately, unique examples of what has to occur before managed care moguls will listen. As a San Diego doctor trained at Yale and UCLA, who ran afoul of managed care and who was actually fired for spending ``too much time'' with his patients, Dr. Self is unique among health care providers in that he fought back against the medical group that fired him and won a three year ``battle'' that culminated in a three month jury trial. His victory is the first of its kind in the nation, and was profiled by ABC's ``20/20'', on August 6, 1999. His experience, where managed care profit motives infiltrated and contaminated the professional ethics of his medical group, shows clearly the murky and often brutal influences wielded by HMOs which have only profit, not quality of care, as their goal. In this scenario, patients become ``cost units'' and doctor is pitted against doctor, undermining the very foundation of medicine and throwing to the winds the Hippocratic axiom, ``first of all do no harm''. With the art and science of medicine controlled by managed care forces, it is not surprising that the number of patient casualties continue to soar. The ability of a clerk with no medical training, in the employ of a payor thousands of miles away, to overrule medical decisions of a trained physician is allowed in no other profession, but is the standard of practice under managed care! Furthermore, this type of employee and also the managed care entity which acts as the puppeteer behind the clerk are completely immune from any legal accountability when their faulty medical decisions cause patient harm. That this situation is allowed to continue is also peculiar only to the medical profession. This is unfair and inequitable. As an experienced diagnostician with the reputation of being thorough and careful, Dr. Self was criticized under managed care dictates as a physician who ordered too many costly tests and as a ``provider'' who ``still doesn't understand how managed care works.'' Sadly, this situation continues nationwide, as more and more experienced doctors are unjustly censored, dropped from managed care plans or terminated from medical groups anxious to conform to managed care policies, leaving their needy patients feeling confused, frightened and abandoned. This pillage and waste of medical resources (under the yoke of managed care which destroys the very quality and continuity so necessary for a positive outcome from medical treatment) is running rampant in America. Dr. Self and his wife have put their lives and their careers on the line to combat the wrongs caused by the health care delivery system called managed care. Now, representing, in microcosm, all health care providers, they turn to you as lawmakers, representing all past, present and future patients, to stop the horror and carnage by health plans by voting for the Norwood-Dingell bill, H.R. 2723, and restoring quality, decency and humanity to health care for the American people. Linda Self, a registered nurse, is, like her husband, a healer. Always active in charitable activities, she returned to nursing full time four years ago to work with her husband when he lost his job. After being away from nursing for many years, she realized that her compassion and love for the art of healing was now even stronger, especially after raising two children, one of whom had a serious illness. Devoted to caring for children with chronic disease and giving support to their families, she was shocked and unprepared for the massive de-emphasis on patient care that had been fostered by health plans. Linda realized that her commitment to people had not changed nor had the needs of such children--what had changed, and changed for the worse, was the indifference to patient suffering held by the managed care system. She realized that in order to care for sick patients and their families in the 90's, there is, and was going to be, a constant controversy with the managed care bureaucracy involving patient referrals, treatment authorizations and, above all, the daily need to appeal treatment decisions lost, delayed or denied by their patients' health plans. As if also in microcosm to what other private medical practitioners face, this office ``busy work'', in addition to the requirements of providing necessary medical support to sick patients, has created enormous frustrations among health care providers as well as increasing the costs of running a practice. Conversely, reimbursements from health plans have steadily diminished, regardless of the severity of the patient's illness or the increased amount of physician and nursing time expended. Additionally, in her dual role as nurse and office administrator, Linda works daily to insure that patients receive the appropriate medical care they need and deserve without suffering the indignity and humiliation of having their health plans ignore, delay, or deny health care that is not only medically necessary, but for which the patient has already paid insurance premiums. This endless paper shuffle mandated by managed care with its cost cutting mentality further decreases the amount of time that a nurse can devote to patient care. This Dilemma has driven competent and caring paraprofessionals from the medical field in droves, thereby further weakening the overall quality of medical care needed by patients nationwide. The resulting upswing in poorly trained, undedicated office personnel hired to replace the nursing flight has created a hemorrhage in medical care delivery which, if not stopped, will hasten the demise of American medicine as far as any vestige of quality of care which still remains. Patients must not be considered commodities to be batered by health plans. Payors must be held fully and judicially accountable wherever their pressures on physicians to curtail tests, delay or deny treatment plans, or by clogging the wheels of medicine with mountains of paperwork cause patient harm. Therefore Linda Self, speaking as a mother, a patient, and a nurse brings her experiences to the House floor and adds her plea to those of Dr. Self and Mr. Zaremski to bring dignity and salvation to the practice of medicine. Those in the House, listen, as we have done for years, to the voices of the grass roots populace when they cry out for help and relief from a medical system that harms, not heals. Read, if you will, the numerous e-mails and other written communications from viewers of the ABC ``20/20'' program on Dr. Self and other well wishes after he and his wife's historic jury verdict, which we have included as an attachment to this letter. A sampling of quotations from these communications follows: As an R.N. I have had similar experiences as Dr. Self concerning HMO's. He is the type of doctor HMO's do not want, since he actually takes enough time for each patient, and does the right thing. A warning to all patients: do not choose an HMO if you have a chronic or rare illness! They will hasten your demise; they are Goliath and you are David. * * * Until patients become better-informed and less passive about their health care, and until doctors start standing up, like Dr. Self, HMO's will continue to run over the patients they are supposed to serve.--Sheryl W. McIntosh Your August 6 piece on Dr. Self who was fired for ignoring his group's bottom line and putting his patient's needs first was excellent. This is happening more frequently than people realize. Only when people have access to information like you provided--or when they get sick and learn firsthand--do they realize how corporate managed care has affected American lives. I hope you will talk to other medical caregivers and deal with other facets of this complicated problem.--Frances Conn This might be just the tip of the iceberg. Our health care should not be treated as a commodity, i.e., something to make money on at your or my expense. Neither should it be a political football where the vote goes to the place with the most political donations. * * *''--James A. Eha, M.D. * * * At first HMOs were VERY good but every single year that passes it gets volumes worse. Now, it is so hard to get a referral, a prescription, a test or an office visit. * * * My husband has to take off work because you have to take the appointment they give you. * * * They make it nearly impossible to get care. They have those drug lists that they are always changing so the doctors are changing your meds all the time making you very sick. They do not allow doctors to do their jobs * * *--Diann Wolf An identical story happened. . .with my brother who is a family practitioner. . . .He dealt mostly with AIDS patients and the HMO found that to be too costly. He and his fellow practitioners in his office decided to leave the medical practice and regroup mentally to figure what to do. They had spent many months without pay at all due to the methods of saving costs by the HMO. . . . And just so the HMO's could make some money, good doctors are leaving the profession.-- Michele Drumond . . . For the past 11 years I have cared for people in long term care. . . . Just imagine the lack of incentive there is for good care of the elderly or disabled. Many newer meds are not covered as they are not cost effective . . . patient loads rise but staffing does not, rules and regulations of documentation rise, staff does not nor does equitable pay. The diagnosis to dollar mentality is ripping the caring soul and commitment out of medicine. Everyday I ask God to give me both compassion and wisdom in my job, but my soul feels that the battle of excellence in care and cost will always be won by cost. I feel called to this job, and just have to do what I do the best that I can, but NEVER would I want any of my four children involved in direct patient care. The physical, emotional and psychological load is becoming too great!! I strongly believe we will see life expectancy decline.-- Barbara Harland, RN . . .I work for a doctors office. . .I do all referrals, authorizations and surgery precerts for our patients. It has become a nightmare to approve any surgeries without going thru the third degree for patients. They can't begin to realize what we in the ``field'' go thru to get these things approved.--Susie Wallace `There are men too gentle to live among wolves' to a gentle and courageous man & woman [Tom and Linda Self].--Brian Monahan, . . .It is a great irony that, after a generation of tremendous growth of our knowledge and our ability to care for patients and diseases in a manner far better than we ever could before, greedy companies are seeking to limit our doing so.--Herbert J. Kauffman, M.D. . . .I deeply respect what you've accomplished and appreciate the way in which your victory benefits patients and those of us who choose to treat patients according to sound clinical decision-making versus adherence to the masters and dictates of those more concerned with profit than quality patient care. . .--Robert Alexander Simon, PhD. . . . Seven years ago I was hired as a homecare Social Worker. . . . Then, managed care entered the scene-- frequently denying approval for a social-worker's services. Since urgent social worker intervention was often necessary with our patients, there were many times that I was dispatched to the patient's home to provide emergency services . . . only to later receive a ``denial of payment'' from the managed care company . . . [Hospital] required me to find any excuse possible to visit those patients whose insurance would pay, and would cram as many patients as possible every day into my schedule. It was all so very, very wrong. For months this unethical practice tore me apart--and eventually made me very ill. I quit my job. . . . I had been forced to compromise my ethics in order for [Hospital] to maximize their profits. I applaud your courage, and I just wanted you to know that I am proud to be the parent of one of your patients.--Ruth Bronske You stood tall for yourself and set a perfect example for the rest of us. I am so pleased.--George Jackson, M.D. . . . Congratulations on winning your lawsuit! Truth always comes out triumphant. Hopefully the HMOS . . . of the world will put the patients' interest first and the bottom line at the bottom as it should be from now on . . .--Faith H. Kung,

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Florida for his support and encouragement.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is simple and straightforward. It strengthens the underlying bill and manager's amendment by ensuring that any increase in funding provided for under the bill will not be prejudiced by any dollar cap imposed on the victims of crime fund. This will help to ensure that Congress will not attempt to balance the budget on the backs of crime victims in general and victims of sexual abuse in particular. I wish I was not forced to offer this amendment, but I must do so because I fear that some will attempt to tap into money which will otherwise be available to assist in criminal enforcement and compensate crime victims. As a matter of fact, the Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill, which has recently passed this House, would have us cap the amount of money available to crime victims at $500 million in a futile effort to balance the budget. I have some concern that any caps imposed by Congress could threaten the stream of victims compensation payments. As a matter of fact, in 1996, the needs of crime victims were so great that we expended funds in excess of the proposed cap. To victim advocates such as myself, maximizing the stream of victim assistance grants through the Victims of Crime Act is of the utmost importance, given the many large gaps in victims services found in most communities today. We should never allow any cap to limit the amount of funds available for the prosecution of child abuse cases. This is why the amendment is supported by victims groups such as the National Organization for Victims Assistance. My amendment guarantees that this bill will take full and immediate effect regardless of any gap. If my colleagues support victims of crime in general and child abuse victims in particular, they should support this amendment. I urge Members on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting this amendment.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I would be remiss if I did not take the opportunity to thank my staff for all the support and work they did with me in trying to get the Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act passed. I would like to thank my staff on the record, Dan Weinheimer and other members of my staff.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, first of all I would like to thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), my colleague, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce), and all the other persons that were original sponsors and cosponsors on this piece of legislation. Mr. Chairman, I will not repeat what has been said by the other presenters as to what the CAPE Act will do. What I want to speak to is why the CAPE Act is so necessary. I served for 8 years as the prosecutor from Cuyahoga County, Ohio. In Cuyahoga County I had 180 assistants, and many of them were responsible for prosecuting child abuse cases. One of the things that I realized as prosecutor was the need to specially train prosecutors who worked in that area. They needed to be able to speak to a young child witness; they needed to be able to understand and see when that child was drawing back and understand the behavioral manifestations from child abuse. They needed to be able to speak with a child-protection worker and have a worker who was as well trained as they were. They needed police officers who were also specially trained in dealing with child abuse victims. Ultimately, we made a determination that we had to come up with an organization or interagency group that could handle these types of cases, and that is why what the CAPE Act will be able to do is so very important. Many of the child protection workers who work throughout this country need additional training. Many of them come right out of school into child protection work. Many of them find that because of the type of job that they are involved in, burnout comes quickly; and there are very few opportunities for reward or encouragement. Through providing dollars through the Byrne grant for training, we will be able to say to these child-protection workers, You are important to us. You are important to us not only because of who you are, but who you work with. They will be working with young people, young abuse victims and providing dollars for their training is of particular importance. We were able to, through the work that we did and ads at the advocacy center that we visited today, to see that there were joint interviews being done with a one-way mirror so that in the course of being interviewed or handled as a young person or a child victim, they were not abused over and over again by so many interviews. That takes special technique, that takes great experience, and the funds that we are proposing from the Byrne grant will also be able to be used for training in that area. It is very important also to understand that the work that forms the basis of the child-protection workers' work becomes the basis or foundation of the prosecutor's case as we go to trial; and very often we find ourselves in Cuyahoga County not being able to win some of our cases because early work done in those cases was not appropriately done, and it was not because the people working in the area were not able to do the job. It was because they were overwhelmed or maybe not specially trained in the area of child abuse and child sexual and physical abuse. So these dollars are good, could be used for that training area. I want to salute all the child-protection workers, police officers, prosecutors who work out in this area and tell them that we really need them to continue to work hard, and by working to pass the Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act, we are saying to them, we know you're important, and you're important enough for us to set aside an allocation specifically in the Byrne grant funds for you to be trained and you to be saluted for the work that you do. I want to thank all of my colleagues who are here and in support of this legislation.